Cafe Culture in South Korea:
From Cute Cafes to Coffee Chains

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Café culture is a huge deal in South Korea nowadays. You will find numerous cute cafes with all sorts of specialty coffee all around the country, even in smaller towns, nothing to say about major areas of Seoul and Busan. I honestly haven’t seen this number of cafes and almost always busy in any other country. So South Korea is one of the best destinations for cafe hopping.

Needless to say, chasing beautiful cafes was one of the major parts of my Korea itinerary.

See my 4-day itinerary for Seoul

See my 3-day itinerary for Busan

See my 2-day itinerary for Gyeongju

Following these itineraries, we actually visited at least one café a day – more like 3-5 a day 😀 So I’ve got a big list of recommendations. I would never be able to check all cafes Korea has to offer – there are so many amazing ones out there. But I have handpicked some of the most popular and/or very cute places for you you can check out 😊

Tips for Cafe Hopping in South Korea

Before I start listing the cafes we loved, I have to give you some tips, that may help you while visiting popular cafes:

Later Opening Times in Korea

Many cafes in Korea are less of a “grab a morning coffee” kind (I don’t mean the chain ones, that I am listing below, but the local unique ones). You will find some cafes that do open early at 7-8am, however, that are far more of them which open only at 10 or even later. So if you need your morning coffee fix, make sure to double check opening times of the cafes near your hotel or in the area you are visiting in the morning.

One Person – One Drink Rule in Korean Cafes

Most of the well-known cafes have a “one person – one drink” rule. First time we heard about this, we stared at the waitress blankly, having no clue what it meant, as we never heard anything like this elsewhere. Apparently, the idea is that anyone sitting in the café should order at least one drink (or another item on the menu in most cases). So I couldn’t just order my cake in the evening, as hubby also had to order something, even if he didn’t want to.

Some cafes even go as far as requesting anyone to order one drink, even if you are ordering another item on the menu. So you can’t just order a cake, you have to also get a drink.

Toilets

Most cafes don’t have toilets on the premises, but nearby. Ask the service staff to give you directions. These public toilets usually do have toilet paper (sometimes at the washbasin, so you have to take it inside), but just in case keep some tissues in your bag.

Select Less Popular Times in Popular Korean Cafes

If you definitely want to visit very popular cafés, especially in the Seoul Bukchon Hanok village area, pick the right time – weekends, especially late morning-early afternoon are the busiest times. Early morning on a weekday or late afternoon-evening would be quieter times and give you a better chance. But of course, this is not always easily arranged when you are in the area at a busy time. However, most cafes (unless it’s Bukchon village area) should not be so crowded that you can’t get in after a 15 minute wait.

Differences of Names on Maps

The names of most cafes on Google and Naver maps differ. I will try to give links of the cafes I am listing for both maps, however, some of them may not be on Google maps (and some newly opened ones on Naver either).

List of the Best Cafes by City

Here are my lists of mainly independent coffee shops of either popular or less well-known lovely places:

Best Cafes in Seoul

The capital of South Korea has a huge amount of cute cafes you can choose from.

I have compiled a list according to Seoul districts to make it easy for travelers to find their favourite cafe in the district they are visiting.

Best Cafes in Busan

This beautiful seaside city has numerous gorgeous cafes with a view.

Here is my list of the best cafes in Busan by district. 

Best Cafes in Gyeongju

Want to try cute hanok style cafes? Check out my guide to Gyeongju cafe scene.

Best Cafes in Jeonju

Jeonju is a very popular day trip destination for Koreans and foreigners alike. It’s cafes are Instagrammable.

Check out my guide to cutest cafes in Jeonju.

The lists are of course base on our opinion and experiences. There are certainly hundreds of other amazing coffee shops. If you have any great recommendations, let me know – I will put them on my list for the next trip 🙂

Korean Cafe Chains

There are also some lovely chain cafes (Korean and foreign), which need mentioning in this guide. If you don’t find an independent nice coffee shop nearby, while you crave coffee, cakes or snacks, here is the list of a few chain cafes, which you will find all around the country. When you find those names, you can trust they will have good coffee or sweets:

• Twosome Place: A big chain specializing in coffee and cakes, as well as some sandwiches. We visited it a couple of times – even sat in one for a couple of hours once, when we were waiting for our train on a very cold day.
• Sulbing: A chain known for Korean shaved ice sweets – bingsu. You won’t find an English language sign usually, so look for the small print saying “Korean dessert café”. If you like the shaved ice, they have a huge variety on offer. We tried a mango one, which was nice, but I personally prefer gelatos 🙂

• Paris Baguette: You often find this chain nearby the train stations. We frequented this chain, especially before taking trains. They have good coffee and sandwiches (although the sandwiches lack salt, as almost all food in Korea).
• Angel-in-Us Coffee: This cafe is known for its cute and bright environment.
• Anthracite Coffee: with relatively less locations than any of the others mentioned above. They have good strong coffee, which I definitely recommend.
• Komm Coffee: Apparently some of its branches were even featured in K dramas, but not sure which ones.
• Tom N Toms
• Paik’s coffee
• Café Pascucci

Other popular chains, I wouldn’t recommend:

• Ediya coffee: This cafe branches can be found at every corner (it actually has almost 3000 coffee shops around the country, which is insane). They are known for their cheaper coffee and combo deals. Honestly, I didn’t like their coffee, but you may give it a chance. Let me know if you have a different opinion about this popular chain.
• Hollys: If you are a coffee lover, their coffee is is not strong.

See Also

Useful Tips for Planning a Trip to South Korea

The Ultimate Guide to Café Culture in Japan: Kissatens, Kawaii Cafés & Pancake Havens

Hello I am Ket,

A traveler, planner, and sweet tooth behind Hit the Road Ket.

Travel isn’t just my passion – it’s a lifeline for my mental health. Having lived in three cities and explored 60 countries (and counting!), I created this blog to share my experiences, smart tips, and itinerary advice with fellow travel lovers.

I’m all about making the most of limited time, finding scenic routes, and turning every trip into something memorable – coffee in hand, of course.